Google Improves Search Algorithm with Hummingbird Update

Google recently turned 15. As a way of celebrating its anniversary, the search giant updated its search algorithm. The update is called Hummingbird and it’s supposed to affect 90% of all searches. This makes Hummingbird a major update and for website owners, it’s time to check how this affects search traffic and find a way to beat the update.

Hummingbird is really for users of Google search more than a way to penalize websites. With the release of Hummingbird, Google search will be able to handle long queries and be more responsive to searches. Google will no longer be limited to keywords but will try to understand everything about a search query. Hummingbird will also be able to recognize the context questions are asked. So in a series of questions, for instance, Hummingbird will try to understand previous queries so it understands succeeding questions without the user having to repeat everything. For instance, if you ask “Who is Michael Jordan”, the next question can “When was he born” and Google will know you are still asking about Michael Jordan.

Google recognizes that many searches are done through voice commands so Hummingbird is meant to improve user experience for those using mobile devices.